Frank Lampard says Rafa Benitez must be backed - as Newcastle close in on a transfer breakthrough

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20: Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on January 20, 2018 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Frank Lampard says that his former manager Rafa Benitez won’t stay at Newcastle United for long if he’s not eventually backed with funds.

After United’s 3-1 defeat against Manchester City, Lampard – BT Sport’s studio guest – said that he could sense the frustration for Benitez, who has made several appeals to be backed. Eventually, he said, it would lead to Benitez walking away from Newcastle.

We understand that Benitez will make progress on transfers this week and is hopeful again on Sparta Prague’s Slovakia goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka, who could sign before the Chelsea game on loan, after further talks. The player is keen to join Newcastle, where he will battle against Karl Darlow and Rob Elliot for number one status.

Benitez also hopes to land a forward - he could return to summer target Sandro Ramirez, who is available on loan at Everton – before the Stamford Bridge clash too, and is hoping to bring in a minimum of four players before the January 31 deadline after fresh talks with Mike Ashley.

That would represent a better period for a manager whose future has been under constant scrutiny. Lampard said on BT Sport: “He’s frustrated. The club’s in no-man’s land so maybe they don’t want to buy players.

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“In terms of Rafa personally, he’s managed Liverpool, Napoli, Chelsea, Real Madrid. Big, big clubs – and Newcastle is a big club but they’re not investing and they’re not in a position where Rafa as a manager sees himself being. So he’s frustrated. There’s only so long this can go on.

“If they don’t buy players, whatever happens by the end of the season you can’t see him staying there too long. Rafa’s ideas are ‘I can manage big teams and I have done’.

Lampard feels there is untapped potential at Newcastle. “Once you announce that there’s a takeover that might be happening you straight away throw doubt over the whole football club, which is difficult, he said.

“There’s no lack of effort from those players out there. They try their hardest. Rafa Benitez is a top manager who sets them up well, it’s a big club but at the moment they’re missing the X factor of two or three good signings that would have them a pretty comfortable mid-table team. And there needs to be – it’s Newcastle, a massive club.”